Allstate Insurance Co. v. Stewart

511 N.E.2d 188, 158 Ill. App. 3d 129, 110 Ill. Dec. 353, 1987 Ill. App. LEXIS 2821
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJuly 16, 1987
Docket2—86—0540, 2—86—0579 cons.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 511 N.E.2d 188 (Allstate Insurance Co. v. Stewart) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allstate Insurance Co. v. Stewart, 511 N.E.2d 188, 158 Ill. App. 3d 129, 110 Ill. Dec. 353, 1987 Ill. App. LEXIS 2821 (Ill. Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

JUSTICE WOODWARD

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendants, James Stewart, Marilyn Stewart, Ralph David Banks, Chris Eggermont, individually and as next friend of her minor daughter, Maria Montez, appeal from a trial court order granting the motion of the plaintiff, Allstate Insurance Company, for judgment on the pleadings.

Maria Montez was injured when she was run over by a tractor-type riding lawn mower operated by her brother, Louis. As a result of the accident, Maria’s left leg was severed. The accident occurred at the home of James and Marilyn Stewart, the parents of Chris Eggermont, who were away for the weekend. The Eggermont family was spending the weekend at the Stewart home.

Chris, on behalf of herself and Maria, filed a lawsuit for damages against the Stewarts and Banks, the Stewarts’ caretaker, alleging that the defendants were negligent in allowing Louis to operate the riding lawn mower. Thereafter, the Stewarts and Banks filed counterclaims against Chris, seeking contribution pursuant to the Illinois Contribution Among Joint Tortfeasors Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 70, par. 301 et seq.).

At the time of the accident, Chris was the named insured under a homeowner’s policy issued by the plaintiff. Plaintiff undertook Chris’ defense under a reservation of rights letter. Thereafter, plaintiff filed an action for declaratory judgment seeking a determination that Chris’ homeowner’s policy in effect at the time of the accident did not require the plaintiff to defend Chris on the contribution action. Plaintiff filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings. After the submission of briefs and oral argument, the trial court granted the motion and entered judgment for plaintiff. This appeal followed.

On appeal, the defendants raise the following issues: whether the trial court erred in finding that the Eggermont family was not “temporarily living” at the Stewart home; and whether section 143.01 of the Illinois Insurance Code (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1985, ch. 73, par. 755.01) renders the exclusionary clause of the homeowner’s policy inapplicable to the contribution action brought against Chris.

Chris’ homeowner’s insurance policy with plaintiff provided in pertinent parts as follows:

“Definitions Used In This Policy
3. Insured person — means you (named insured) and, if a resident of your household:
a) any relative; and
b) any dependant person in your care.
7. Insured premises — means
a) the residence premises; and
b) under Section II only;
1) any other residence premises described on the declarations page;
2) any other residence premises you acquire during the premium period;
3) any part of a premises not owned by an insured person but where an insured person is temporarily living;
Section II Family Liability Protection
Losses We Cover
Allstate will pay all sums arising from an accidental loss which an insured person becomes legally obligated to pay as damages because of bodily injury or property damage covered by this part of the policy.
Losses We Do Not Cover.
2. We do not cover bodily injury to an insured person or property damage to property owned by an insured person;
5. We do not cover bodily injury or property damage arising out of the ownership, maintenance, use, occupancy, renting, loaning, entrusting, loading or unloading of any motorized land vehicle or trailer. However this exclusion does not apply to:
d) a vehicle used to service an insured premises which is not designed for use on public roads and not subject to motor vehicle registration ***.”

Defendants contend that coverage under Chris’ homeowner’s policy is available since she and her family were “temporarily living” at the Stewart home at the time of the accident. We note that the homeowner’s policy does not contain a definition of “temporarily living.”

Where the words of an insurance policy are clear and unambiguous, the court should give effect to the plain and obvious import of those words. (Dinges v. Lawyers Title Insurance Corp. (1982), 106 Ill. App. 3d 188, 190.) A policy provision is ambiguous if, considering the policy as a whole, it is subject to more than one reasonable interpretation. (Dolan v. Welch (1984), 123 Ill. App. 3d 277, 280.) Where an ambiguity exists, the policy is to be construed liberally to effectuate coverage. (Dinges v. Lawyers Title Insurance Corp. (1982), 106 Ill. App. 3d 188, 190.) However, this rule of construction does not justify construing a contract against an insurer when no real ambiguity exists. (Western Casualty & Surety Co. v. Brochu (1985), 105 Ill. 2d 486, 495.) If the words of a policy can reasonably be given their plain, ordinary and popular meaning, the provisions should be applied as written and the parties should be bound to their agreement. 105 Ill. 2d 486, 495.

Defendants argue that the term “temporarily living” is unambiguous and its plain, ordinary meaning supports their position that coverage exists. Alternatively, they argue that if the term is ambiguous, the policy must be construed in favor of coverage.

Defendants rely on two California cases, Leroux v. Industrial Accident Com. (1934), 140 Cal. App. 569, 35 P.2d 624, and Clark v. Industrial Accident Com. (1933), 129 Cal. App. 536, 19 P.2d 44. In Le-roux, the court held that the term “living” implies a fixed, regular, established place of abode or residence with the idea of at least relative permanency, as distinguished from a mere temporary or transitory presence at a particular place for a brief time or a limited purpose. (Leroux v. Industrial Accident Com. (1934), 140 Cal. App. 569, 574, 35 P.2d 624, 626.) In Clark, the court concluded that the term “living” was interchangeable with the word residence. In Country Mutual Insurance Co. v. Watson (1971), 1 Ill. App. 3d 667, the court quoting from a prior case found that the word “resident” was in common usage and “ ‘is generally understood to mean one having more than mere physical presence.’ The elements required beyond physical presence are intention and permanency of abode. [Citations.]” (1 Ill. App. 3d 667, 669.) Intention is the controlling factor in determining whether a residency has been acquired or abandoned, and that intent is gathered primarily from the acts of a person. 1 Ill. App. 3d 667, 669-70.

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Bluebook (online)
511 N.E.2d 188, 158 Ill. App. 3d 129, 110 Ill. Dec. 353, 1987 Ill. App. LEXIS 2821, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allstate-insurance-co-v-stewart-illappct-1987.